5.19.2009

A poet's cat, sedate and grave,as poet would wish to have,was much addicted to enquire,for nooks to which she might retire,and where, secure as mouse in chink,she might repose, or sit and think.I know not where she caught her trick,nature perhaps herself had cast her,in such a mold philosophique,or else she learn'd it of her master.Sometimes ascending, debonair,an apple tree or lofty pear,lodg'd with convenience in the fork,she watched the gard'ner at his work;sometimes her ease and solace sought,in an old empty wat'ring pot,there wanting nothing, save a fan,to seem some nymph in her sedan,apparell'd in exactest sort,and ready to be borne in court.

~ William Cowper (1731 - 1800)

Cowper, a prolific poet and hymnist, is still known today for such quotations as the following:

God moves in a mysterious way,His wonders to perform;He plants his footsteps in the sea,And rides upon the storm.

Olney Hymns (1779)--'Light Shining out of Darkness'

He also suffered from severe depressive episodes and numerous suicide attempts, convinced that he was condemned to hell eternally and that God was commanding him to make a sacrifice of his own life. Translator of The Iliad and The Odyssey, prolific writer, and hailed by Samuel Taylor Coleridge as "the best modern poet," Cowper remains one of the most influential poets of his time.

A tail is quite essential for your acrobatic talents;you would not be so agile if you lacked its counterbalance.And when not being utilized to aide in locomotion,it often serves to illustrate the state of your emotion.

O Spot, the complex levels of behaviour you displayconnote a fairly well-developed cognitive array.And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend,I nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend.

slithy toves

mimsy borogroves

"One thing was certain, that the white kitten had had nothing to do with it--it was the black kitten's fault entirely." (L. Carroll, Through the Looking Glass)
I'm Yankee-Born and Southern-Raised, which makes me kind of Southern Gothic (in the old literary sense of the word). After 15 years in the Big Apple, I spent 4 years on a farm in Michigan raising chickens and llamas and learning to spin, knit, and needle-felt. Now I'm back home in NYC with my much-beloved spouse and one crazy tortiseshell cat. You can also find me on Ravelry.com as okitten.